A full day, state licensed, year-round preschool program for 3-5 year olds.
Our Program
The EJRP Preschool is a fully licensed preschool program that was established to meet the growing need for quality Pre-K education. With the use of the Recreation Department’s outdoor facilities and a creative classroom space, children learn to explore, work independently and in large groups, and communicate effectively with one another. Our program focuses on the uniqueness of each child and provides them with the tools to reach their learning potential and to successfully transition into Kindergarten.
Our Mission
Our mission is to provide quality early education that fosters the growth of all children, encourages the connection between home and school, and supports the needs of our local community.
Our Philosophy
We believe that every child is capable of learning and being successful. It is our duty to provide children with a safe, enthusiastic and creative learning environment. This environment ensures that children feel comfortable being themselves and feel free to take the necessary risks to challenge their minds and reach their learning potential. This is realized through positive interactions between teachers and children, children and their peers, EJRP staff and the families it serves, and by engaging our program/children in our local community.
Our Goals
- Provide a warm, safe and nurturing environment for children that meets their physical, social and cognitive needs.
- Foster positive learning experiences where the process is more important than the product.
- Create a strong bond between home and school, recognizing the individual needs of each family.
- Pro vide opportunities for learning through play and free exploration.
- Encourage the expression of emotions for positive interactions and resolutions.
- Foster a sense of independence with an emphasis on self-help skills.
- Encourage appropriate social behavior.
Our Schedule
- 7:30 - Preschool Opens
- 7:30-9:20 - Explore Time (choose activities around the classroom and explore freely)
- 9:20-9:30 - Clean Up
- 9:30-9:50 - Morning Snack (teachers and children sit down for snack together)
- 9:50-10:00 - Books and Quiet Choices
- 10:00-10:30 - Morning Meeting (calendar, weather graph, theme songs/poems, group games, read alouds, group discussions, etc.)
- 10:30-11:00 - Group Activity/Stations (children either participate in a pre-planned group activity or split into small groups and rotate through stations)
- 11:00-11:45 - Outdoor Recess (utilizing the park facilities)
- 11:45-12:30 - Lunch
- 12:30-1:00 - Independent Reading/Books on Tape/Group Read Aloud
- 1:00-2:30 - Rest Time
- 2:30-3:10 - Books and Quiet Choices
- 3:10-3:30 - Afternoon Snack
- 3:30-4:30 - Outdoor Recess
- 4:30-5:00 - Afternoon Activities (may include creative art projects, science experiments, or theme-based activities)
- 5:00-5:30 - Explore Time
- 5:30 - Preschool Closes
Our Director
Christina McLaughlin, an Essex Junction native, is a licensed teacher through the state of Vermont who has been working with preschool aged children since 2002. She has helped preschool programs become accredited through both NAEYC and the STARS Program. Under her direction, children in the classroom are able to utilize a play-based, emergent curriculum that peaks their curiosity, engages them in exploration, and allows them to discover new skills and experiences.
Our Location
The EJRP Preschool Program is located in the Recreation Center at Maple Street Park, 75 Maple Street in Essex Junction, home to 38-acres of playgrounds and fields, and located just a half mile from the 5 Corners.
Our 2011-2012 Rates:
How Do I Sign Up?
Please call the Recreation Office (Monday-Friday, 8am-4pm) at 878-1375 to set up classroom visit and a meeting with the Preschool Director. Registration forms are available at the office and will be accepted in person only.
Let your child unwind afterschool, with minimal transitions, among their peers, in a fun and supportive environment, right at their school.
Know that your child is safe, engaged in activities, eating healthy snacks, burning energy, completing homework, hanging out with good friends, and interacting with a quality staff, while you finish your workday.
Have the end of your child’s day be full of arts & crafts, indoor sports, outside play, library use, computer lab time, cooking, gardening, and monthly field trips.
Utilize this local, State of VT licensed program option for quality afterschool care, with structured and unstructured time, a caring staff, a separate space for kindergarteners, operated by Essex Junction Recreation and Parks, at an inexpensive price.
Remember when you went away to summer camp and made amazing arts and crafts projects, met new friends, played different sports and games, and learned how to swim? EJRP’s flagship summer camp for K-5th graders continues to evolve to give children that same experience at a great price and without going far from home.
In the morning, campers are grouped by age with a staff to child ratio not to exceed 1:12. Each group will go to different activity periods, where specially trained staff will lead the day’s activity. Activities will include sports (team sports and traditional camp games), art, swim lessons, and a morning specialty which may include cooking, Zumba, and other fun activities that will change week to week. Every child will receive swim lessons!
During Free Time, campers will have supervised access to all of the amenities at Maple Street Park, including basketball courts, playgrounds, baseball fields, tennis courts, skatepark, and outdoor green space to run and play.